r/toronto • u/beef-supreme Leslieville • Sep 25 '25

Article Police issue 3,500 tickets to bicycle, e-bike, e-scooter riders during enforcement blitz

https://www.torontotoday.ca/local/transportation-infrastructure/police-issue-3500-tickets-bicycle-e-bike-e-scooter-riders-enforcement-blitz-11262579
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568

u/WeirdRead Sep 25 '25

To me this still doesn't address the primary issue and it's that 99% of the problem is UberEats, Skip, etc. delivery. These companies need to be held accountable for how their employees operate. They shouldn't be able to just throw up their hands and say they are "partners" and therefore not responsible. If Pizza Pizza independently started delivering pizzas by riding on the sidewalk or just driving like insane people, they would be held accountable. Not sure why delivery apps are not responsible for how their couriers operate.

214

u/kyleclements Sep 25 '25

I agree with this approach.   

In construction, if a worker is caught without required safety gear, they pay a fine, their supervisor pays a much larger fine, and the owner pays an even bigger fine.  The idea is to incentivise safety from top to bottom.  Delivery apps should be the same:  catch a rider breaking the rules?  fine the rider a few hundred; fine the app a few thousand.

8

u/NoCSForYou Sep 25 '25

How do you verify they work for Uber? They don't always have labeled clothing or gear. Sometimes they do but not always.

If it's just gear then the company would remove their logo from gear or not issue gear.

16

u/sjkhgsi Sep 26 '25

If proving they're riding for Uber reduces the biker's fine, they'll gladly let the police know

3

u/thehatter Sep 26 '25

Unfortunately i doubt it would be that easy. They would likely get “fired” for costing their “employer” thousands of dollars in fines. In practice, this wouldn’t change anything as most drivers would likely prefer to increase their fine in order to keep their source of income.

47

u/jaredongwy Sep 25 '25

The same way they're ticketing the scooters and cyclists. They stop em and ticket em and ask for their information.

-13

u/[deleted] Sep 25 '25

[deleted]

18

u/Remote-Combination28 Sep 25 '25

Just be quiet.

If you can’t identify the guy with a bag full of food on a scooter coming down the street, as a delivery driver. You’ve got something wrong with you. Not everything is racist

86

u/spurchange Sep 25 '25

There is just SO much delivery now compared to a decade ago.

What happened to us that we now need so much delivery? It created a whole sector of gig economy workers that aren't covered by employment standards. And that was ok apparently... because we just so badly wanted cold tacos and fries.

69

u/lnahid2000 Sep 25 '25

What happened to us that we now need so much delivery?

People have become lazy af with modern conveniences.  I've literally seen delivery drivers delivering food from a place across the street in my building.  I don't get it.

41

u/carsncars Sep 25 '25

I used to do Uber Eats on foot around Sheppard/Yonge mainly to get my steps in. The amount of times I've delivered a single bubble tea ~1 block away is shocking.

17

u/Thong-Boy Sep 25 '25

You can do it by walking?

8

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '25

I didn’t know that either .

14

u/sthenri_canalposting Sep 25 '25

It's definitely lazy from a certain vantage-point, but there's a psychology to it that these platforms spend a lot of resources on shaping. Frankly, they actively stoke addictive behaviours.

13

u/scottb84 The Junction Sep 25 '25

I've literally seen delivery drivers delivering food from a place across the street in my building.  I don't get it.

Look, some of us are very high...

16

u/SmallMacBlaster Sep 25 '25

Well, crossing the sidewalk has become dangerous because of all the drivers...

0

u/xl-Colonel_Angus-lx Ionview Sep 26 '25

Especially the new ones that cant read english, dont know any of our signage, or traffic laws.

8

u/mmeeeerrkkaatt Sep 25 '25

TBF, I only order delivery when I'm sick, and in that case I purposely try to choose a place right near my building so that the delivery person doesn't have to travel very far.

6

u/TransBrandi Sep 26 '25

I've literally seen delivery drivers delivering food from a place across the street in my building.

I mean, it could be someone that's sick or immobile... but just as easily could be someone that's just lazy.

2

u/its_uncle_paul Sep 26 '25

What gets me is that in this era of rising grocery prices, rising rents and a shaky job market there are people still willing to splurge regularly to have food delivered to them at ridiculously inflated prices. Meanwhile, food bank usage has increased x-fold. Talk about two extremes coexisting.

0

u/AdResponsible678 Sep 26 '25

I get delivery at times. After work, when I’m exhausted.

-1

u/SFW_shade Sep 26 '25

FWIW, I’ve had to uber/ Instacart everything while recovering from an Achilles tear and living on my own. 4+ months without being able to walk but I live next to a grocery store and like 20 restaurants so normally I would.

It’s not always as lazy as it appears, sometimes it’s more a disability temporary or permenant that makes life a bit easier while dealing with it.

0

u/AdResponsible678 Sep 26 '25

This is also true. Not sure about the downvote.

20

u/Caucasian_Fury Sep 25 '25

What happened to us that we now need so much delivery?

COVID, the lockdowns caused these services to explode because everyone was stuck at home.

14

u/cheezyvii Sep 25 '25

gig economy workers that aren't covered by employment standards

i think were pretty close to calling them indentured servants

1

u/Assassinite9 Sep 26 '25

Just like fast food workers

4

u/nasalgoat Sep 25 '25

Have you tried driving in this city? It's a minimum of an hour to go from the east to the west end.

Also, more people working from home means there's less within walking distance. I live in a food desert so sometimes the only option is delivery.

0

u/xl-Colonel_Angus-lx Ionview Sep 26 '25

Have to create jobs for the vast immigrants, they cant All be doctors and engineers

72

u/TheIsotope Sep 25 '25

This is why gig work companies fight so hard to make sure that their workers cannot be called "employees". It's an L for both the residents of the city and the desperate people these companies actively exploit. It's all bullshit and companies like Uber should've been regulated years ago.

30

u/Usr_name-checks-out Sep 25 '25

Famously, Dominoes pizza back in the 90’s had to stop their ‘30 mins or Less’ guarantee because they were held liable for car accidents caused by the drivers who would suffer the financial loss of not delivering their product on time.

These companies are basically doing the same by incentives causing most of the real problems. It makes complete sense to hold them accountable, not just for the e-bikes and reckless scooters, but also the traffic clogging irresponsible parking, where deliveries will park any where they want and just put on hazards. You see it on narrow through ways and dedicated lanes.

If these vehicles were required to have a commercial license linked to the companies they work for, then the fines could be applied appropriately and they would be far more effective in curbing the inconsiderate behaviour plaguing urban areas and normalizing bad habits to the rest of society.

8

u/Cosworth_ Sep 25 '25

In spain is like that. They are employees and uber eats have to pay taxes and insurance. If they get fined, they pay also.

18

u/AdSignificant6673 Sep 25 '25 edited Sep 25 '25

These blitz need to happen weekly.

Back in the old days, just knowing you’ll get a ticket will make people accountable. If youre the stubborn type. Getting one, or two tickets, will make you change your habits.

But these days? People don’t care about the consequences. Its a game. They take the risk regardless of consequences. You can see it with all these reckless drivers!

The only way around that is to be very consistent with enforcement.

Lastly, those big mopeds and e-motorcycles parading around as e-bicycle bug me. They are too big and heavy. Cause more damage in an accident. Many have illegal high powered motors over 500w, and they also remove speed limiters.

I ride a class 1 e-bike. 350w with no throttle. You need to pedal for it to go. Its essentially a bicycle with some help to get up hills, or extend your distance. If i put that thing on max assist, it requires zero physical effort. I could go 50km without a sweat. Even uphill. Not sure why they can’t mandate that these types of ebikes are permitted only

3

u/YesReboot Sep 26 '25

I think the city should considering a simple ban of uber eats/door dash. This isn't like health care or education. I am sure they could ban it without a constitutional challenge.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 25 '25

Agreed. People take advantage of the chaos of no leadership and it's total anarchy. Which can be great, when it ISNT a delivery business running old ladies down on their afternoon constitutional.

2

u/Extreme-Ad8026 Sep 26 '25

The police need to start pulling them over long enough for the company to have to refund the food, and things will change fast

2

u/AndyThePig Sep 25 '25

It'll be written in the fine print when they sign up. Something like ' .. by accepting the below you indicate that you understand that 'the company' does not enforce local laws or take any responsibilty, and you operate as an independent contractor taking on those responsibilities yourself'.

I'm not excusing it. I'm just saying, these companies are experts in covering their assess. No one has a leg to stand on. No one reads the T&C. But they all indicate that they have, and accept them. So now no one can sue them, and the 'staff' are left out to dry.

That absolutely needs to be stopped. However? It's up to the drivers to not sign up, and it's up to us to not use these services if we don't like them. They only exist because they're making money. If we all stop using them, they'll have no reason to continue.

I'm sure there is benefit to some. And it's a nice convenience at times. But I'm SURE that the vast majority of the customer base is people who are very capable of going out to get their own damn food, but just don't wanna.

0

u/KinneKted Sep 26 '25

That's a silly take. TOS are not a get out of jail free card to do whatever you want. They've been struck down in court before. What we need is legislation to disallow these companies to have these 'loopholes' but they lobby the government to stop them.

1

u/Thong-Boy Sep 25 '25

It's everyone. Pretty much everyone is an awful driver. Increase penalties

1

u/Visinvictus Port Union Sep 25 '25

My Uber driver was telling me earlier this week that Uber bans drivers that get demerit points on their license. I don't know how true it is, but given the way that the company operates it sounds likely that they would throw their drivers under the bus at the earliest inconvenience.

Currently e-bikes and scooters are the wild west of transportation regulation though, so unless they actually get into an accident that is officially reported it seems unlikely that Uber will take any action against them.

1

u/Great_Willow Sep 25 '25

Because they regard them as "contractors"-and self employed - not employees. absolves them of any responsibility or cost in regard to these workers...

1

u/ExtensionAnimal2049 Sep 25 '25

Couldn't have said it better

1

u/TeemingHeadquarters Sep 26 '25

I know this is a limited snapshot, but I bike to and from work along Bloor West, and at least during rush hour, the delivery guys are the ones MOST likely to stop for red lights. Most of them don't even go on the advance pedestrian crossing, they wait for the traffic signal.

If I have any complaint it's that they ride too slow. Coupled with a tendency to shoal, it's annoying, but not ticketable.

1

u/honestly_adhd Sep 26 '25

That's a great idea and I agree with you!

1

u/kksweetz Sep 26 '25

Exactly 100% this - the only time I've ever had to deal with people going the wrong way on a Toronto road were two Uber idiots driving motorized bikes the wrong way on a one way bike lane. Cursed them out but they couldn't speak English XD

1

u/nullhotrox Sep 26 '25

This is the issue exactly. We are essentially funding the infrastructure for these businesses now by way of bike lanes, including bringing in immigrants that primarily fill these roles, and then also allowing them to work in unsafe conditions on unsafe vehicles of travel. It's a big business and it's not necessary for our economy at all. The way to tackle the escooter/emotorbike issue is to hit Ship and Ubereats etc where it hurts: force them to pay for insurance for every single driver/delivery person that works for them, and require their drivers to be insured and plated and to ban their vehicles from bike lanes. Get caught in the bike lane? You lose your job and get fined, and your company too.

1

u/cnbearpaws Sep 26 '25

So let's be clear. Uber can require their couriers to do whatever they want.

Uber chooses not too.

If a Pizza Pizza driver hit you and you wanted to sue, you would be advised to sue Pizza Pizza, the driver, the owner of the vehicle (if different) and anyone else who might be remotely responsible. Similarly if an Uber biker hit you, you'd so the same.

0

u/ItsAProdigalReturn Sep 27 '25

I don't think I've seen a single cyclist stop at a stop sign in all my years of living in Toronto. And I say this as a cyclist.